Yes, a two game winning streak is a big deal around here.

In a game where Nate Cornejo didn’t have nearly his best stuff, the Tigers managed to hold onto a 5-4 victory. Nate pitched into the 8th inning, giving up 9 hits, a walk, and four earned runs. I caught the last few innings of this one, and Nate seemed to be getting behind in the count on a lot of batters, then would struggle back to get a ground ball out of some kind. His 17-4 GB/FB ratio is what you want to see from a pitcher.

Jamie Walker then came in with one out in the eighth, and pitched 1 2/3 solid innings. Decent game all around by the pitching staff.

One thing that impressed me during this game happened in the 7th inning. With one out, Alex Escobar hit a pinch hit single in the gap between left and center. Craig Monroe really hustled, and made a nice sliding stop to hold the batter to a single. The next batter, Josh Bard, then hit one foul in the corner in deep left, and Craig made a nice leeping catch against the wall. Two nice defensive plays from someone who’s not really known for their defense is a nice thing to see when you know the guys are still hustling. At times now, it almost seems a futile gesture with the amount of losses the Tigers have, but at least its nice to know the players are still doing their best. Earlier in the game, Monroe also hit his his 18th homerun.

And with that, the Tigers are now back above the .250 mark. Unfortunately, they’re going to be knee deep in September, playing a ton of teams in pennant or wild card races, so their opponents will still be taking these games seriously. Maybe the Tigers can play the spoiler.

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